A man’s early confession of guilt after helping to kill a tradie and shove his body into a metal box over a perceived $50,000 drug debt has sliced years off his jail term.
Darcy Schafer-Turner died after he was put in a chokehold, tied up with duct tape and held down by two men in a Sydney apartment on April 27, 2023.
Suffocating on his own vomit, the 22-year-old tradie was unable to be revived at the Peakhurst residence before his body was put into the box and dumped into a creek
One of the attackers – Zachary Richard Fraser, 24 – was jailed on Wednesday for six-and-a-half years for manslaughter.
Fraser and another man – who fled the country to Germany and cannot be named for legal reasons – believed Schafer-Turner owed a drug debt of $50,000.
They lured him to the unit, saying they had cocaine for him to on-sell.
But plans went awry.
“There is someone laying on the floor in my bathroom dead,” Fraser wrote to an acquaintance on messaging app Signal.
“It was an accident. I only meant to tie him up.”
The man, whom Fraser had met through online gaming and also cannot be legally named, then reached out to a “cleaner” in Queensland.
Charles Dennis Turnbull, 36, caught a flight to Sydney and met the victim’s attackers, joining them in a trip to Bunnings for a metal cabinet.
Schafer-Turner’s body was then placed in the metal cabinet, loaded onto the back of a ute and driven five hours’ north to Macksville by Turnbull.
Turnbull, acting on a $30,000 offer, was later paid $20,000 by Fraser for his services.
A missing persons report and subsequent police investigation led to the discovery of Schafer-Turner’s body in a creek south of Macksville on May 12.
Fraser was arrested three days later.
While there had been an attempt to revive Mr Schafer-Turner, neither of his two attackers called emergency services for help, Justice Nicholas Chen said.
Fraser took further steps of contacting the “cleaner” to try and cover up the crime, the judge said.
The 24-year-old’s arguments that what occurred was “essentially spontaneous” were rejected by the judge who pointed out it had been spurred on by the perceived drug debt.
The incident had caused pain for the loved ones of the 22-year-old victim, described as a funny, caring young man with an adventurous spirit who was unconditionally loved.
“The taking of Darcy Schafer-Turner’s life is a tragedy that has caused profound grief and sorrow to his family and those close to him,” the judge said.
But Fraser’s sentence was reduced because of his lack of a criminal record, his prior good character and an early guilty plea.
He had shown genuine remorse, accepting responsibility for the death and was unlikely to re-offend when released, Justice Chen found.
His time in custody would be made more onerous by his diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, persistent depressive disorder and dependent personality disorder.
But the judge dismissed arguments the latter disorder – which manifests as clingy behaviour and submissiveness – spurred on the unlawful and dangerous attack.
The 24-year-old claimed the disorder meant he went along with the scheme at the other man’s request.
With time served, Fraser will be eligible for release in July 2027 after being behind bars for four years and two months.
Turnbull pleaded guilty to being an accessory to manslaughter and was sentenced to a maximum sentence of three years and three months in December 2024.
His two-year non-parole period expired in May.
They began arriving just after midnight — a steady line of motorcycles rolling quietly down our street, headlights glowing in the dark until nearly thirty riders stood outside my home. I froze in confusion and frustration. In my mind, bikers meant noise, disruption, and trouble, not something you’d expect in a peaceful suburban neighborhood. When they turned off their engines and simply stood there, looking toward my son’s bedroom window, every assumption I’d ever made about them came rushing forward, and my hand hovered over my phone ready to call for help.
Then one of them stepped forward, calm and concerned, holding his phone with a message he said I needed to hear. He explained that my sixteen-year-old son had been sharing worrying thoughts online — expressing deep sadness and frustration, hinting at ideas that could put him or others in emotional harm. As they showed me the posts, my heart sank. I had brushed off his quiet moods as normal teenage behavior, never realizing he was struggling inside. My denial faded instantly as I realized how much pain he had been trying to hide and how much I had missed.
Together, we walked to his room. The riders stayed gentle and respectful, speaking softly so he wouldn’t feel attacked or afraid. When the door opened, my son looked startled and overwhelmed — not dangerous, just a young person burdened by emotions he didn’t know how to manage. With care and patience, the bikers reassured him while I contacted professionals who could help immediately. Soon, trained experts arrived to talk with him and safely guide him toward the support he needed, ensuring his wellbeing and everyone’s peace of mind.
When the house grew quiet again, I sat in stunned gratitude. The people I once judged without knowing had shown up out of genuine concern and humanity. They saw what I missed and chose compassion over silence. That night changed me. It taught me never to judge someone by appearance, and to pay closer attention to the quiet signals my child gives. Most importantly, it reminded me that real strength is asking for help, offering help, and standing by someone when they need it most.